Ratchet drill



July 12, 19,27. Hw. BARBOUR 1,635,882

RA'rcHET DRILL Filed oct. v, 1925 2 sheets-snee: 1

ATIIORNEYS RATCHET DRILL 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1925 wl l v L u ATTORNEYS Patented July 12, 1927.

HERBERT W. BARBOUR, OF NEW BERN, NORTH CAROLINA.

mi'roHE'r DRILL. Y

Application filed October 7, 1925. Serial No. 61,145.

My invention relates to improvements in ratchet drills, and it consists in the co1nbi nations, constructions hereinA described and claimed. l

An object of the invention is the provision of a ratchet tool which affords facilities for holding a drill bit, screw driver bit or the like, and which can be operated in a place of a relatively slight area to effect 'turning of the tool bit in a given direction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a ratchet tool of the character described which can be adjusted at will so that the tool that is carried thereby will be turned when the device is operatedin either of two opposite directions about the longitu` dinal axis of such tool bit.

A still further object ofthe invention is the provision of a ratchet tool device of the character described which is simple in construction, reliable in use, and easy to operate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willibe apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the i1n proved ratchet tool, showing a drill bit carried thereby, l

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but taken at right angles to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view showing the stock, mandrel, and certain associated parts of the device inside elevation, and showing the operating handle of the device partly in vertical section and partly in elevation,

Figure 4 is' a relatively enlarged fragmentary view of the operating handle of the device, showing said handle partly in elevation and partly in vertical section,

Figure 5 is a' perspective group view of certain elements of the operating handle construction, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing a sleeve portion of 'the operating handle. The improved ratchet tool device'comprises a tubular body 1 having a knob 2 secured thereto at one end thereof, as. at 3. A mandrel or shaft 4 extends into the bore of the body 1 at the end of the latter' which is opposite the knob 2 and is rotatably supported in the body 1 in any suitable manner. For example, the body 1 is enlarged atv a substantial distance from the secondv named end of the body, as at 5, and a screw 6 may r be threaded through a lateral opening 1n the enlarged portion 5. of the body 1 and and arrangements may extend into` a peripheral groove 7 in the mandrel 4, whereby the mandrel can turn 1n the boreof the body 1, but is held against axial movement in the latter. The enlargement 5 of the body 1 may extend completev ly around the body 1 and is formed to produce a pair of alined Oppositely extending trunnions, as at 8. A pair of ratchet Wheels 9 and 10 respectively are rotatably supported on the trunnions 8 and have beveled teeth on the inner faces of the rim portions thereof in mesh with the teeth of a bevel gear 11 which is rigid with the mandrel 4 and is located at the lower end of the tubular body 1.

An `operating handle comprises a substantially U-shaped section 13 having al pair of arms 14 arranged to straddle the Vratchet wheels 9 and 10, and having alined openrangement just described, the section 13 of the operating handle can swing with but very little friction, if any, about the axial line of the trunnions S, and therefore about the axial line of the ratchet wheels 9 and l0.

The web portion of the section 13 of the operating handle hasan opening 19 formed therethrough centrally thereof. The oper ating handle includes a sleeve section 20 having an end portion21 fitting in the opening 19 and secured therein in any suitable known V manner. rilhe sleeve section 20 may have an external shoulder 22 abutting the outer face of the web portion ofthe section 13 and the sleeve section 2O preferably is reduced internally at its inner end as indicated at 23. A rod 24 extends within the sleeve section 2O through the internally reduced portion 23 of the latter and extends beyond the inner end of the sleeve section 20 between the rim portions of the ratchet wheels 9 and 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. A collar or flange 25 is rigid with the rod 24 and isreceived between the arms 14 ofthe section 13 ofthe operating handle close to the inner face of the Web portion of the latter. A pair of operating pawls 26 and 27 respectively are mounted on the inner end portion of the rod 24 between the arms 14 of the U-shaped sec-V tion 13 of the operating handle and between the ratchet wheels 9 and 10. As shown to advantage in Figure 5, the operating pawls have the bodies thereot, tapering slightly in width l'rom their outer ends and the bodies ot the pawls are merged at their inner ends into attaching ring portions. The ring portion tor the pawl 26 is designated at 26a and the ring portion -for the pawl 27 is indicated at 27 f. The ring shaped attaching portion of each pawl has a thickness approximately half that of the body of the pawl. The attaching ring portion 26d of the pawl 26 has one face thereof flush with the corresponding` face of' the body of the pawl, thus producing a shoulder 26b at the juncture or the body and the ring shaped attaching portion of the pawl 26. The ring shaped portion 27CL oi the pawl 27 likewise has one tace thereof flush with the corresponding iace of the body of the pawl 27, thus producing a shoulder 2'7" at the opposite face of the attaching ring portion at the junction ot the latter with the body or the pawl 27. The bores ot the ring shaped attaching portions olf the pawls are adapted for the reception of the extending inner end portion of the rod 24 and the ring portion 26:L tirst is slipped onto the extending inner end portion. of the rod 24 against the iange 25 so that the shoulder 26h will be disposed at the lower side of the pawl 26 and the attaching ring portion of the pawl 27 then is slipped over the extending inner end portion of the rod 24 against the ring portion 26at of the pawl 26 so that the shoulder 27b will be at the upper side of the pawl 27, whereby the bodies of the two pawls willbe located directly opposite each other on the inner end portion of the rod 24.

A washer 28 lits on the inner end portion ot the rod 24 against a shoulder 29 of the rod 24 close to the plane of the adjacent faces of the pawls 26 and 27. The washer is held in place against the shoulder 29 by a nut 3() which is in threaded engagement with the extreme inner end portion or the rod 24, such cxtreme inner end portion or' the rod 24 being slightly reduced as shown in Figure 5. At this time, a projection 31 on the shoulder 29 of the rod 24 enters and engages with an opening 32 in the adjacent face of the washer 28 and holds the latter against turning on the rod 24. The washer 28 is 'formed with a diametrical slot 33 in the face thereof which is next to the pawls 26 and 27. A spring 34 extends through this slot 33 and has `outturned end portions 35 and 36, respectively, which enter and engage with openings 37 and 38 respectively in the bodies of the pawls 26 and 27, respectively.v The middle portion of the spring 34 thus is held against any appreciable lateral oscillatory movement so that the end portion 35 of the spring will act to urge the pawl 26 in one direction about the axis of the rod 24 and the end portion 36 of the spring will act to urge the pawl 27 in the same direction about the axis of the rod 24. The bodies of the pawls 26 and 27 extend oppositely from the rod 24. Since the bodies ot the pawls taper in width from their outer ends toward their inner ends, it is obvious that each side edge portion of the body oi' each pawl will be adapted to mesh with a tooth or' either of the ratchet wheels 9' and 10. The bodies of the pawls 26 and 27 also may have the outer faces thereotl beveled inwardly as shown.

rihe portion of the rod 24 that is received within the sleeve section 2O may extend through a spacing ring 39.` A set screw 40 has a .shank extending through a slot 41 in the sleeve section 2O into an opening in the spacing ring 39, the shank of the set screw being in threaded engagement with a radial socket 42 that is termed in the rod 24.

The slot 41 extends circumferentially of the sleeve section 2O for a slight distance and has end portions 43 and 43a respectively extending longitudinally of the sleeve section 2O toward the outer end of the latter. An expansion spring 44 is disposed Within the sleeve section 20 between the spacing ring 39 and the internally reduced inner end portion of the sleeve 20 and urges the rod 24 and the Aparts which are carried thereby outward in the sleeve section 20 so that play between the flange 25 and the inner end ot the sleeve section 20 is prevented. The rod 24 may have a screw driver slot 45 in its outer end, and this outer end portion of the rod 24 normally is covered by the tubular stein 46 of a handle or knob 47, the stem of the knob being screwed into the outer end portion of the sleeve section 20. The 1nandrel or shaft 4 carries a chuck 48 which is secured to the lower end portion thereof and which may be of any suitable known construction of the type adapted to hold a drill bit such as indicated at 49 in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a screw driver bit, not shown, or other similar tools, not shown.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The spring 35-34-36 will function in conjunction with the associated part-s to maintain an engaging lateral edge portion of the body oi the pawl 26 in engagement with the teeth of one of the ratchet wheels and the opposite lateral engaging edge portion of the body of the pawl 27 in engagement with the teeth of the other ratchet wheel when the rod 24 has been turned in the sleeve section 20 so that the set screw 4() is at one of the ends of the slot 41. This set screw can be tightened to lock therod 24 to the sleeve llO section 20. It therefore will be apparent that oscillation of the operating handle, which comprises the parts 13, 20, 46 and 47, about the axial line of the trunnions 8 will cause rotation of the mandrel 4 and of the tool which is carried by the chuck on s aid mandrel in a given direction, motionbeing imparted to one of the ratchet wheels by the associated. pawl during the swinging of the operating arm in one direction, and motion being imparted to the other ratchet wheel by the other pawl during the return swinging movement of the operating arm, and each pawl slipping idly over the teeth of the associated ratchet wheel when motion is being imparted to the other ratchet wheel from the other pawl. The direction of turning of the mandrel and therefore of the parts which are carried thereby, can be reversed by turning the rod 24 in the sleeve section 1 until the shank of the set screw 40 is at the opposite end of the slot 41, the effect of such i adjustment of the rod 24 in the sleeve'section 2O being to swing the washer 28 about the axis of the rod 24 until the end portions l of the spring exert torques on the bodies of the pawls, tending to swing the pawls in the direction opposite to that in which the pawls were urged when the set screw 40 was at the other end of the slot 41.

With the arrangement of the oscillatory operating handle and a straight stock or body having a knob at the outer end thereof, pressure on the handle can be vexerted manually by one hand of an operator, while the other handof the operator is employed to manipulate the operating handle to effect turning of the mandrel. In this way the pressure on the body of the device can be regulated as desired, more accurately than is possible with the usual ratchet drill to which pressure must ybe applied from the body of an operator, and undue stress on the drill bit or like tool which might break such tool, is precluded. Moreover, since the turnling of the mandrel and of the tool iseffected by oscillation by the operating han-` dle, the device can be operated in a space too small to permit of operation of a ratchet brace or a drill of a construction which employs a handle which swings through 360?.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all such modifications and adaptations thereof as .fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. A ratchet device comprising a body, a pair of gear wheelsrotatably mounted on said body, a fra'me member having legs straddling the gear wheels and pivotally mounted on said body, a handle fixed to the frame member and having a tubular section rigid therewith, a rod mounted within the tubular section for axial va'nd angular movement relative thereto, the inner end of the rod projecting in between the gear wheels, pawls pivoted to the inner end of the rod, spring means for urging the pawls into engagement with the gear wheels when the rod is properly positioned angularly, and means co-operable with and operable from the exterior of the tubular section and connected with the rod for positively and releasably locking the rod in desired angular position.

2. A ratchet device comprising a body, a pair of gear wheels rotatably mounted on said body, a frame member having legs straddling the gear wheels and pivotally mounted on sa'id body, a handle fixed to the frame member and including a stationary tubular section, a rod mounted within the tubular section for axial and angular movement relative thereto, the inner end of the rod projecting in between the gear wheels, pawls pivoted to the inner end of the rod, spring' means for urging the pawls into engagement with the gear wheels whenthe rod is properly positioned angularly, means for limiting the Voutward axial movement of the rod, a spring' co-acting with'the rod and tubular section for urging the rod outwardly, and an operative member fixed to the rod and extending laterally therefrom, said tubular section having a slot arrangement co-operable with the operating member for releasably locking the rod in desired angular position.

3. A ratchet device comprising a body, a pair of said body, a frame member having legs straddling the gear wheels and pivotally mounted on said body, a handle fixed to the frame member and including a stationary tubular section, a rod mounted within the tubular section for axial and angular movement relative thereto, the inner end of the rod projecting in between the gear wheels, pawls pivoted to the inner end of the rod, spring means for urging the pawls into engagement with the gear wheels when the rod is properly positioned a'ngularly, a grooved washer in which said spring is mounted, said washer non-rotatably held on the inner end of the rod, and locking means on the inner end of the rod tohold said washer, pawls and spring into cooperating relation, and whereby to prevent inward displacement of said pa'wls, means for limiting the outward axial movement of the rod. a spring co-acting with the rod and tubular section for urging the rod outwardly, and an operating member fixed to the` rod Y therefrom, said tubular section having a slot arrangement co-operable with the operating member for releasably locking the rod in desired angular position.

HERBERT w. BARBoUR.

and extending laterally gear wheels rotatably mounted on 

